7 Ways to say I Love You
by WinSomeOrLearnSome
Summary: 7 short chapters of AkuRoku. Axel doesn't know how to say I love you.
1. Je T'aime

**7 ways to say I love you**

* * *

Chapter 1: Je T'aime

"So, just tell him! It's been, like, years!"

"But," Axel started, "he's my _best friend_."

"Axel. He's your best friend."

"And he's a guy!"

"Oh honey. Don't start that now, pussy boy – you've been pining after him for HOW LONG?"

"I dunno Larx...I don't know."

"Well, you'd better be quick," said Larxene, "Get there before someone else does."

She was right, as Axel turned to see his best friend conversing with a shy girl, an obvious blush painted on his face. She had long blonde hair and a tiny white dress on that didn't leave much to the imagination. Eventually they said their goodbyes and with a tiny wave she was off.

"So who was that, Roxas?"

"No-one."

"What?"

"Leave me alone, Axel. It wasn't anybody."

Slightly hurt at being pushed away, Axel only pushed back with more force. He waggled his eyebrows in what many call 'a suggestive manner'.

"OooOOoooh, Roxy, you've got a girlfrieeend!" Roxas snorted at his winking and slapped him lightly.

"Shut up, Ax," his blush deepening.

"Haha, lucky you..." he said, trying to squash down the sharp pain that was the truth.

* * *

xXx-French Class-xXx

He'd spent the last twenty minutes of the lesson looking up 'Roxas' in the French dictionaries. It wasn't there the first time, and it wasn't there the 45th time either. But he tried again anyway. What else was there to do?

_"Get there before someone else does,"_

Larxene's word echoed in his mind. Just the thought of someone else, someone taking Roxas away, was enough to make Axel feel physically sick. It was fear. Just terrified that if someone took Roxas away, he wouldn't have anything else to live for.

But he couldn't do it! Who could go up their best friend and just confess a whole load of stupid FEELINGS? It was easier to do it to a complete stranger than someone you actually knew. And liked. A LOT.

He wouldn't like him back. No. Of course he wouldn't. Why would he?

So yes. He'd just keep it a secret forever. That's right.

_"You think you could live with that, honey?"_

That afternoon, Roxas found a scrawled note in his locker.

_**Je T'aime**_

_**

* * *

**_

AN: short. short. but i've almost finished the next one, it'll be quick. loves.  
i also realised this is half based on real life.


	2. Te Amo

Chapter 2: Te Amo

* * *

It was a day like any other. Normal routine. Get up, go to school, meet Roxas. Stare at Roxas. Talk to Roxas. Think about Roxas.

Except with the added addition of _her._

Who was she? Hell knows. Some cute little girl who acted younger than she was. With a dress sense to make any guy squirm.

"Well, bye Roxas!" SHE said.

"Oh, see ya Namine.." Roxas said, not really looking at her. Either he was trying to hide his blush or he was a little put off by her.

"Uh, come here..." Roxas pulled Axel by the wrist into one of the outside corridors.

"Are you...uh, are you and.."

"What?"

"AreyouandLarxenegoingout?"

"What was that sorry? Didn't quite catch-"

"You and Larxene! Are you guys going out or what?"

"What?!"

"Did you not hear-"

"Of course I fuc- why would you think that?"

"Huh? Well, hello, you're always with her. You're always talking in secret and whenever I come you always stop and..."

"Roxas, I-"

Shit.

"Whatever! I don't care, I was just wondering..."

"You seem to care."

Roxas stood with his arms folded.

"But anyway, whatever. Go find Nanny-may or whoever the hell-"

"It's Namine. And thanks. I might just do that."

"What? Are you two going out then?"

Roxas spluttered but eventually answered, "N-No! Jealous?"

Axel replied coolly and calmly. "No. Et toi?"

_French,_ Roxas remembered. _Je t'aime..._

"Why would I be? You said you weren't even going out!"

"We're not. Still jealous?"

"UGH!" Roxas let out a frustrated yell and stomped out into the open air. He could feel Axel's eyes burning into his back but he didn't look back once.

The next time they talked Roxas acted like nothing had happened, though Namine was suspiciously weepy-eyed and sending them both glares. Roxas wouldn't talk, so Axel wouldn't reply, so they spent lunch break in a contented silence. It was like they need to talk – they could practically tell what the other was thinking.

"Axel."

"Hm?" It was quiet, and small, but Axel heard it.

"You're my best friend right?"

"Mmhmm. Best friend."

"Mmm."

"Why d'ya wanna know?"

".....Just do."

Silence. Roxas still wouldn't make eye contact, but he moved his chair closer to Axel's.

The next morning there was another note in his locker. One side had algebra on it, on the other side was a carefully printed:

_**Te Amo**_

* * *

still short. they all are. enjoy it. so, thanks to and demyXD for adding this to story alert! I really appreciate it, lovely to see that someone's reading it.

* * *


	3. Kimi o ai shiteru

**Chapter Three: Kimi o ai shiteru**

* * *

"He said WHAT!?" Larxene laughed hysterically, sending half her drink across the table. Say it, don't spray it...

"He thought WE were- HA!"

"It's not funny. He probably doesn't like you," Axel said, hoping she would calm down. Larxene merely tossed her head back, and smiled.

"Darling, true as that may be, he's just jealous."

"What? But we aren't-"

"No, no, you wish babe. But he doesn't know that."

"Well he does now." Axel sighed and messed with the salt and pepper shakers, making them dance across the table. They always came to the Twilight café, secluded, peaceful, and the food was good too.

"What made you bring it up, Axel?"

Silence. He kept his eyes on the pepper shaker. Focus, hocus pocus...

"Namine."

"What?"

"She's this stupid girl! He's always with her, I don't know what they talk about, probably ART and DRAWING those stupid little artists smmhfg..." Axel trailed off, pretending he hadn't even answered.

"I know Namine," she said blankly.

"Huh?"

"She's my cousin."

It was Axel's turn for a spit-take.

"You w-wha?"

"MAN, you are slow. How do think I know everything about everyone? The Queen of Gossip needs her resources, y'know."

Axel was temporarily dumbfounded, but his phone rang (thankfully cutting Larxene off).

"Hey, Ax?" Roxas' unnaturally high voice came from the other end. Larxene perked up and said, a little too loudly,

"Is it him?"

"...Ax? Axel?"

"Yeah, hi."

"I was wondering whether you could come over, but never mind. I'll find someone else."

"I-What?"

"Sorry. You must be busy. I should have known," he said stiffly.

"Roxas, I-"

"Don't lie to me Axel!" He rang off. Axel's stunned silence was interrupted by his phone reminding him that the call had ended.

* * *

"And then SHE was there, I can't believe it! He said they weren't going out!"

"Roxas, is that why you called me over here? To talk about them again?"

"...No," Roxas said, a little guilty, "I did want to see you Namine."

"Good. But look, he might just be FRIENDS with her, and not going out?"

"But-B-"

"Roxas, look at ME. I am a girl."

"Oh. See your point..."

"Look, you're just going to have to tell him, someday. You never know, he might li-"

"It's not like that! He's just my FRIEND, for Gods sake!"

"You can lie to me, Roxas. But you can't lie to yourself." And with that she strode off, back to her house. She was sick of it. Axel and Roxas, would they get it together yet? It was like something out of a story, after three chapters you want to scream at them. STOP! You love each other! Now get it over with!

She decided to call Larxene, and hear Axel's side of the story.

Roxas blinked and rubbed his eyes, but Namine was still gone. It was getting dark, and he decided to just go home. He opened the front door and realised too late that he had trodden on something. Letters, bills, and a folded slip of paper with half a footprint on it (oops).

In tiny writing was a string of delicate symbols in Japanese. Beneath it was:

**Rokusasu, kimi o ai shiteru**

**

* * *

**

this is a little longer. i enjoyed writing it. thanks to all readers: Lifes Lover, demyXD, Guzophela, Mizuko Renka, crazysycochicka, DorkFace, furryporcupine, Ninny-Na (wheee!) and Lolli-The-Ninja! Love you all! (how will I know to put you here if you don't review?)


	4. Ich liebe dich

**7 Ways To Say I Love You**

Chapter 4: Ich liebe dich

* * *

"Hey Larx, it's Namine...uh, call me when you get this message."

Namine hung up the phone and dropped it back inside her pristine white bag. It's just unbelievable. What was UP with Roxas lately? Namine kicked a stone into the road and contemplated why this was suddenly becoming her problem. She needed to let off steam somehow. Usually she would paint, but it was getting harder and harder to hide her pictures from Kairi. There were pictures of her and Kairi that she'd rather the other didn't see.

Namine placed real importance in her paintings. It was like a tiny piece of her heart, he feelings poured onto blank canvas. Unwanted eyes stealing her painting from her was like snatching a part of her soul out of her grasp. On the outside, she was relatively mysterious. Plain, blonde, pale, white. Just white. From looking at her paintings, it was like you'd pulled of the mask and found the REAL Namine, the one full of colour and happiness, sadness, frustration, and her own worries.

Carrying Roxas's as well wasn't fair. She needed to call Larxene...

She needed a plan.

"So what was it again, Ax?" Kairi questioned rather loudly.

"He's in love with his best friend, just like you. Sort out your problems together, and shut UP, I'm trying to listen to a message," Larxene spat at them. "God.....children."

"You're in love with WHO NOW? Have I met her? I don't remember you having any girl best friends..."

Axel stared pointedly at the table, practically hearing the cogs in Kairi's brain slowly turn.

"...Oh. OH. OH!"

If he stared at the salt shaker long enough, it just might topple over and distract her. Maybe.

"OH MY GOD, ROXAS?"

"YES, WELL DONE, YOU CAUGHT UP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. NOW SHUT UP."

Thank God for Larxene, Axel thought as Kairi slid down in her seat for fear of being yelled at again.

"Call me when you get this message...Hey, Nam? Yeah, it's me."

She looked back at Axel who was blushing a deep red and trying to ignore Kairi's incessant poking.

"He's here. Yup, moody as hell. So's yours? Boys..."

The person on the other end of the phone laughed sweetly.

"A plan, you say? Well that sounds..."

Larxene smirked and a mischevious glint in her eye twinkled.

"...that sounds like a plan!"

She snapped her phone shut and turned back to the other two.

"So why won't you tell him, Axel?" Kairi asked for the fiftieth time.

"Because he's a stupid boy," Larxene said simply and slapped him upside the head.

"Hey, my haaiiiir!!" The girls both giggled (or cackled, in Larxene's case) as Axel tried to flatten his hair down. Not that it ever looked flat. It was a hopeless attempt to regain his dignity.

"Well, see you two! I gotta go to my friends house," Kairi said, "Nice meeting you Larxene!"

**pagebreakthanksforreadingyouarelovelypagebreak**

5 short minutes later and Larxene was strutting along the empty road, proud of the sounds her heels made on the concrete path. She saw a pale figure sitting in a deck chair in the front lawn of a house. It was holding a sketchbook and looked deep in thought.

"Namine! Hey girl!"

The girl looked up, startled, and waved back. _Don't call me girl,_ she mouthed. Larxene grinned, and hurried up to Namine's house.

"Hey, what's that.." She lunged at the sketchbook on Namine's lap. She tried to protect it but Larxene was just too quick. (Like lightning hurhur...she is like the Flying Nymph or something?)

"Oh my god! You know what?"

"Wha-at..." Namine moaned through her hands, currently used to bury her face in.

"This looks EXACTLY like that girl I was just with? And is that you? What's.."

Namine roughly grabbed her sketchbook back and carried on drawing without a word.

"Okay, whatever. She was just a relative of Axel in some way, I think.." At Axel's name she perked up. Axel meant Roxas. Roxas and Axel. And that meant plan.

"What was this plan you were thinking of again?"

"Follow me," Namine replied, and walked into the house leaving her sketchbook behind her, along with a silent Larxene. Or should that be a plotting Larxene...

**pagebreaknowletmetellyouaboutcloverfrommarssheisanawesomewriterpagebreak**

"Okay, so I don't have a plan."

Both girls stared at each other, one with a look of incredulity and the other with a look of despair.

"I thought you could help me..."

"And, how exactly?"

"Uh." Namine blushed. "N-not me! Axel and Roxas! Help me, help them..to..uh.."

"What, set them up? HA!"

Namine slumped, resting her chin on the cold marble desk.

"Dear, they are totally fallen for each other. They are destined to find each other. It's going to happen sometime."

"Yeah..but...don't you think we could speed it up a bit? Roxas has been bugging me all week..."

"Tell me about it."

They both smiled, more to themselves than each other. Falling for your best friend...she knew what that felt like. She just didn't know what to do about it.

**pagebreakyetagainijustliketotalktoyouguysreviewifyouwantopagebreak**

Dadada...what a ca-atch..hmmm..

Kairi hummed to herself. It was too quite where Namine lived. Kairi preferred noise, light, camera, action! It was fun to be in a big group. But right now Sora was always with Riku, Axel was always with his other friends, Namine was the only one there for her. Yeah. Namine was always there for her.

Not that Kairi could count on that. She pondered whether she should have called before coming...she just had to get out of that tiny café. She kept getting told off for being too loud. Isn't that just unfair? _You can't shout at someone to tell them to stop shouting_, she thought.

She stood in front of her best friend's house with an uneasy feeling. The door was wide open...was it right to just go in? She paused when she saw a white book open on the ground. It was really heavy, and...blank? Oh wait, those just hadn't been drawn on...this was Namine's sketchbook!

Without considering the immorality of looking through someone else's things, she flicked through the yellowed pages. It was out of curiosity mostly, she hadn't seen Namine's sketchbook since...ages. She'd get really annoyed if you disturbed her while she was drawing.

Kairi stopped for a second when she came across a picture of her. Or, at least, it looked like her. It looked to pretty to be her, Kairi thought to herself. Red hair, lightly tanned skin...Nam had really made the eyes look alive. She was so skilled at drawing people. She carried on looking through them.

As she got to the end, there were more and more of her, and some with namine in too, which must have been drawn from memory. She heard voices from inside the house, but didn't look up. This one was deep, with warm, rich colours, what looked like tippex used to make sparkles on the page. It was just a drawing, but she could feel the emotion behind it...feel an aura around it, something that made her heart swell up like when she saw a bunch of kittens.

"Hey, I got you some lemonade! OH-Kairi?"

Namine was standing in the hallway with a glass in one hand, stock still. She looked as if she was about to topple straight over. She stared from Kairi to the sketchbook back to Kairi again.

"K-k-"

It was just a second before the glass hovered over the ground and then threw itself down, smashing into tiny pieces. And then she ran. Kairi dropped the sketchbook and then ran, but Namine couldn't move.

"So, you gonna give it to me or what?"

Larxene appeared in the doorway, and raised her eyebrows at the shards on the floor and the lemonade currently soaking into Namine's sandals.

Kairi reached the end of the road, panting. Her and Namine, stuck in that painting, it felt like..

Felt like love.

**pagebreakpagebreakpagebreakpagebreakpagebreakpagebreak**

Roxas stared at his German textbook, and it stared back. He wished he had a photographic memory like that guy he sat next to. Seifer, was it? He was such a tough guy – did nothing all lesson but scored top in all the tests. No-one to copy off either. In fact, part of Roxas's struggle with German could be the red-head that sat on his other side, flicking bits of rubber at him.

"You want to stop that?"

_Flick._

In frustration Roxas knocked all his pencils off the desk, and then reluctantly leant down to pick them up again. He got back up and restarted his staring contest with the textbook.

_ICH LIEBE DICH_

Hn? That hadn't been there a minute ago...and Roxas wouldn't allow any graffiti on his book. He HAD standards. He peered closer. Liebe? He opened the dictionary to look it up.

Axel just stared out the window and sighed.

* * *

**hur hur you thought I wasn't gonna do another chapter did you ;D I hope it's not too short...**

**and, like what? KairixNamine in an AkuRoku story? It's still AkuRoku, don't worry!**


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